Meet Liz Buss | Piano Instructor and Freelance Pianist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Liz Buss and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Liz, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born and raised in Peoria, Arizona with my mom, dad, and five older brothers. Coming from a big family and being the only, and youngest, girl in the family really set out the path of who I would become in the future. I grew up very introverted and often alone yet creative because of that. Growing up I would always be writing stories and making up scenarios with my toys, used to being by myself because I was so much more different than my brothers. We just didn’t have as much in common as they did with each other. I became wrapped up in music, starting the piano at six years old. At ten, I started the clarinet in band and eventually switched to the oboe at the encouragement of my band teacher. I also started playing saxophone for a few years in high school. Through elementary school and high school I put everything into piano recitals, jazz and classical band, marching band, and playing for musical theater shows, church services, even going on a trip playing with the Arizona Ambassadors of Music in ten different countries in Europe. I’ve always had my musical background to lean onto and be my support when I felt at my most insecure. I’ve always felt different during my childhood and luckily I had those talents to keep me going and keep me motivated, even in the worst of times. All that being said, I know for sure if I grew up any differently I wouldn’t have had the courage to branch out and move out to San Diego completely on my own, living from house to house, roommate to roommate, looking for my permanent place in California. Now I live with my husband and dog in Oceanside as a piano teacher and also a freelance pianist, continuing to try and use my talents to create joy in as many situations as I can like it’s done for me for so many years.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business is very new but in my mind it’s been forming for many years. Liz Buss Piano is something I’ve always wanted to get on its feet since I moved here to San Diego in 2014, I just didn’t have the resources or money to do it yet. It wasn’t in the cards and the timing wasn’t quite right at that point in my life. Being 23 and just looking for any work that could pay the bills, I had to put those dreams aside for many years. Now that I am more established as a teacher with some fallback options, I feel more confident in pursuing my freelance pianist career. I’ve been playing a lot of weddings over the past 8 years in San Diego. The way I usually got any gigs whatsoever is through Craigslist or Gig Salad. I’ve learned that I can’t really rely going in that direction 100% since it’s so hit or miss with who will see my ads and postings. Recently I’ve created my website and Instagram page that showcases my work ranging from popular wedding songs to taking requests and playing whatever my followers want to hear. I believe that playing music isn’t just for myself but for other people to hear, and if they want to hear a song they love I will gladly try it out. That goes for anything on social media but also when playing for a wedding ceremony or cocktail hour- I will cater to the couple and play what makes it them happiest. With my growing business I would love to see myself playing more weddings and things of that nature. I also accompany those who need a pianist like churches, choirs, and students who are performing in school. I love what I do and I love making the music on the page come to life.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
To start the trip I would take my friend to Sunset Cliffs by Ocean Beach. That’s actually where I first went when I first moved here with my sister-in-law and it really had an impact on me! It’s a gorgeous area that’s over a mile stretch of cliffs overlooking the ocean that becomes so magical at golden hour. It’s not a beachy type area so I would go to Ocean Beach down the street, if you want to lay by the water and have a classic San Diego beach day. The La Jolla Coves has an area where the seals congregate and it’s always fun to go down by the water and watch them play on the rocks and in the water. One of my other favorite areas we would go to is the San Diego Zoo. It’s a pretty big zoo but you can walk around the whole thing in one day- usually we take the Skyfari where you get aerial views of not only the exhibits but also Balboa Park, which is another classic San Diego area to visit. Balboa park has tons of historic buildings that are great to sightsee as you grab a quick bite at a food truck or coffee cart. It also has shops to peruse through and if we wanted, stop by the museum that’s there as well. One of the last things we would have to do is go to the Civic Theater or Balboa Theater in downtown San Diego. Both of those theaters have shows going on daily so you’re guaranteed to see either a great concert, comedy show, or musical. Of course we would have to grab a drink at a local brewery in Liberty Station to get a craft beer at Stone Brewing. I think a week of beach days (with the chance to paddle-board or surf!) sightseeing, going to shows, zoo trips, and dining at local restaurants would wrap up the vacation nicely! And that’s only scratching the surface of what an amazing place San Diego is.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Of course I want to dedicate my shoutout to my parents, who were always supportive of my musical career. They were the ones who put me through the years of piano and oboe lessons and attended the many, many, MANY recitals, musicals, and marching band shows. Even when I wanted to take a break from music after high school they encouraged me to attend Arizona State University anyway, even if I pursued a degree in English for a year. Because of the continuing support from my parents I had no matter what, I then realized on my own music was the only direction I wanted to be going in. That allowed me, in my mind, to get my degree first in piano performance and eventually graduating with a music education degree with a background and experience of performing at a collegiate level. I truly believe without their support I wouldn’t have gone as far as I have in the music world.

Website: lizbuss.com

Instagram: instagram.com/liz.buss.piano